Page 41 of Sliding into Home

Jeff led the way back to Max’s bedroom. She placed him on the mattress, tucked him in, and placed a kiss against his head. “Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“For breakfast, right?” Max placed his palms on either side of her face to hold her in place.

“Absolutely. Your dad’s buying, so I’m getting the biggest plate of waffles and whipped cream I can find.” Kia flicked a glance at Jeff and winked. The knot in his chest deflated like a balloon. He didn’t realize how badly he needed her support until this moment.

“I’ll buy you anything on the menu,” he gushed.

“Anything?” She raised an eyebrow and tapped her nail on her lip like she was deep in thought. She flashed a mischievous grin at Max. “Just this once, maybe we should have milkshakes too.”

Max’s eyes widened. “For breakfast?”

A laugh rumbled out of Jeff’s chest. The little guy sounded so scandalized about a milkshake. “It is milk, isn’t it?” Jeff asked.

“It is if you’re buying.” Kia rubbed her hands together gleefully. “This is going to be so good. You better get to sleep quick, Max, so morning comes sooner. I got some breakfast to eat.”

Max clamped his eyes tightly shut. Kia smiled at the boy, then pressed another kiss against his forehead and stood up. “Night, sweetie.”

With his eyes still glued shut, Max whispered, “Night.”

Afraid if he got too close, it would shatter the safe bubble that surrounded Max and he’d want to go home, Jeff leaned against the doorframe while Kia stood up. “Night, Max, I’ll see you in the morning,” he said.

Max squinted open one eye to peek at him. “Night, Dad.” The boy’s loud stage whisper brought a smile to his face. Who knew kids were so funny?

As Jeff followed Kia back down the hallway, he broke the silence. “Sorry I ruined your night. You must be regretting letting me take him for the night.”

Kia spun around. “Don’t be silly. This wasn’t your fault at all. I should have double checked he had Pickles. I know he can’t sleep without him.”

Exhausted, he sighed. “God, that was brutal.”

“You did great. Honestly, he would do the same thing at Vika’s house if he forgot Pickles.” She squeezed his arm. “Kids cry. Their emotions are really close to the surface, so they burn hot and fast. Once it’s done, it’s done.”

How was it possible he felt so drained when it was only 9:00 o’clock? “Yeah?”

“Absolutely.” She squeezed his arm again, then dropped her hand. “If I didn’t think you could handle it, believe me, there isn’t a chance in hell Max would have been here tonight.”

“Thanks.” He finally really looked at her for the first time. His gaze scanned her outfit from top to bottom. A low whistle slid from his mouth. “Wow!”

Kia blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Sorry.” He shook his head. “You just look amazing.” Realizing exactly why she looked so fantastic, he winced. “Fuck, you were on a date. Weren’t you?” Jealousy dug its nasty fingers into his chest and squeezed at the thought of her out with another man. He didn’t have any right to feel that way. She wasn’t his as much as he wished she was.

“It’s fine.” She waved her hand like it really was nothing.

“Is he in the car outside? He could have come in.” The idea of the other guy stepping foot in his house burned, but it was the least he could do for Kia coming to his rescue tonight.

“No, no, don’t worry about it. The date ended. I wasn’t sure how Max would be, so we just called it a night.”

“Well then, the least I can do is offer you a drink since I ruined your evening.”

She tilted her head to the side, thinking over her answer. Finally, she nodded. “A drink sounds fantastic.”

“Alright, let’s see what we can find.” He led the way into the kitchen. “You want wine?”

“Sure. White if you have it.”

“Coming up.”

Kia stopped at the edge of the island. “Your place is amazing. I’ve only seen this kind of thing on TV. I didn’t think people had kitchens like this in real life.”

---